Shavings making machine

ABSTRACT

A rotor assembly for a shavings making machine comprises a cylindrical rotor having on its periphery a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending open channels each containing a plurality of similarly angularly inclined short blades clamped between spacer blocks slidably mounted in the channels, the ends of the channels being closed by clamp rings secured on the rotor ends, and adjustment abutment screws being provided on at least one ring for increasing the blade clamping pressure.

United States Patent [191 Montgomery Feb. 18, 1975 SHAVINGS MAKING MACHINE [75] Inventor: W. T. S. Montgomery, Jacksonville,

Fla.

[73} Assignee: Montgomery Industries International Inc., Jacksonville, Fla.

[22] Filed: Aug. 16, 1973 [21] Appl. No: 388,799

[52] US. Cl 241/282.2, 144/172, 144/230, 241/292.1 [51] Int. Cl. B02c 18/06 [58] Field of Search 24l/282.1, 282.2, 292.1, 241/300; 144/172, 218, 229, 230

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,825,373 3/1958 Forman 144/172 2,917,091 12/1959 Smith et al.. 144/230 3,039,503 6/1962 Mainone 144/229 3,324,909 6/1967 McCranie 144/172 X 3,454,234 7/1969 Sch'oeppner 144/172 X 3,467,416 /1969 Gourley 1 241/2921 UX 3,679,143 7/1972 Montgomery.... 144/172 X 3,785,417 1/1974 Vora 144/230 X Primary ExaminerGranville Y. Custer, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-Howard N. Goldberg Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Strauch, Nolan, Neale, Nies &' Kurz [57] ABSTRACT A rotor assembly for a shavings making machine comprises a cylindrical rotor having on its periphery a plu- I rality of circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending open channels each containing a plurality of similarly angularly inclined short blades clamped between spacer blocks slidably mounted in the channels, the ends of the channels being closed by clamp rings secured on the rotor ends, and adjustment abutment screws being provided on at least one ring for increasing the blade clamping pressure.

17 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB 1 8 I975 sum 3 OF 3 FIG. 6

1 SHAVINGS MAKING MACHINE This invention relates to a machine for converting random size and shape pieces of wood or like materials into relatively uniform thickness shavings.

The invention may be advantageously used for example in a woodworking shop where scrap wood pieces of random size and shape accumulate and present a disposal problem. This problem can be solved to profitable advantage by converting the scrap to fluffy shavings which can be sold for use in cattle bedding for dairy farms, chicken litter for chicken farms, mulch for mixture with fertilizer and the like.

The invention in its preferred embodiment will be described as incorporated in the machine disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,679,143 and particularly with reference to an improved rotatable cutter assembly. That patent discloses the feeding of random size pieces of wood into a rotary cutter assemblywherein the wood is reduced to shavings, the cutter elements being relatively long knife blades mounted on the periphery of a power driven rotor and having cutting edges that extend the length of the rotor parallel to the rotor axis.

While the patented machine performs very well under many conditions, there has been some difficulty in suitably reducing relatively small blocks or lengths of wood, and it is the major object of this invention to provide a novel rotary cutter assembly that will solve the foregoing problem.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a wood or like reducing machine a rotary cutter assembly wherein a plurality of longitudinal rows of relatively short knife blades each having a cutting edge disposed at an angle to a diametrical plane through the cutter assembly and containing the rotor axis are mounted on a rotor periphery, the rows being preferably identical and equally spaced circumferentially.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a machine of the foregoing type a novel rotary cutter assembly having on its periphery a plurality of longitudinal rows of knife blades separated by individual spacer elements along the row and with their cutting edges extending parallel to each other and at an angle to an in tersecting diametrical plane of the rotor assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a novel rotary cutter assembly, circumferentially spaced longitudinal rows of knife blades, each disposed at the same angle relative to the direction of rotation and the successive knife blade edges being so arranged that their cutting paths overlap. The knife blades may be spaced by elements removably mounted by endwise sliding in a mounting channel in the rotor periphery, and further objects of the invention relate to details of this structure as will appear from the specific disclosure and claims.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a rotary cutter a plurality of longitudinal rows of knife blades each inclined at the same angle relative to an intersecting plane through the rotor axis and each being adjustably mounted for selective projection from the rotor periphery.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel knife blade spacing and clamping element for mounting in the periphery of a rotary cutter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel knife blade adapted for adjustable mounting in a longitudinal cutter assembly row of a rotary cutter.

FIG. 1 is an end elevation partly broken away and in section showing a rotary cutter assembly to a preferred embodiment of the invention; I

, FIG. 2 is a side elevation partly broken away and in section showing further detail of the rotary cutter assembly;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing details of the adjustable knife blade mounting;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of an end wedge block of the knife blade mounting;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation showing an intermediate 5 wedge spacer block of the knife blade mounting;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary end elevation showing the knife blade mounting channel;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 and further illustrat ing how the wedge spacer blocks and knife blades are retained in the mounting channel;

FIG. 8 is a generally perspective view of a wedge spacer block showing the knife blade adjustment grooves; and

FIG. 9 is a generally perspective view of a knife 25 blade.

' PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The rotor assembly 11 comprises a central shaft 12 on which are fixed two rigid metal rotor end members 13 and 14. Each rotor end member is of spiderlike form comprising (FIG. 1) a central portion 15 non-rotatably secured to the shaft 12 and a series of equally spaced radial arms 16. A central tubular metal core 17 extends concentrically of shaft 12 and is secured as by welding at opposite ends to end members 13 and 14. A series of equally spaced radial metal webs 18 extend longitudinally of the rotor and are secured as by welding to core 17 and arms l6.

As shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2, a series of blade mounting channel members 19 are mounted at the outer periphery of the rotor, each secured as by welding to the outer edge ofa web 18. Channel members 19 are parallel and equally spaced circumferentially and they extend parallel to the rotor axis. Between adjacent channel members 19 arcuate peripheral sections 21 of the rotor are secured, as by welding to the channel members. The outer cylindrically curved surfaces 22 of the channel members 19, and 23' of the rotor sections 21 lie in a cylindrical envelope the center of which is the axis of shaft 12.

The foregoing provides a cylindrical rotor assembly having on its peripheral surface a series of rigid parallel channel members extending the length of the rotor. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 each channel member 19 is centrally formed with a recessed channel 23 that is of uniform size from end to end and is open at opposite ends. As shown the channels 23 are preferably of dovetail shape presenting outwardly open slots at the rotor periphery. The illustrated construction has eight channel members but the actual number is not critical.

A row of spaced knife blades 24 is mounted in each channel member 19, with the outer cutting edges projecting out of the cylindrical periphery of the rotor. Eachblade 24 is a flat sided plate-like element of tool steel and the adjacent blades along the row are spaced by wedge spacer blocks 25 that are longitudinally slidably inserted into an open end of the channel 23.

These blocks 25 are of hard steel and have complex shapes. They have flat bottom surfaces 26 slidable on the flat bottom surfaces 27 of channels 23, and they have inclined side surfaces 28 slidably fitting with the inclined sides of channel 23. Viewed endwise of channel 23 they therefore have the corresponding dovetail shape shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 whereby they are slidably longitudinally of channel 23. The knife blade contacting and clamping surfaces 31 and 32 on opposite ends of each block 25 are parallel and inclined in two direc tions within the channel. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, they incline at an angle relative to the straight parallel sides of slot and channel 23. As shown in FIG. 3 they incline upwardly with respect to the flat bottom surface 27 of channel 23, and all of the surfaces 31 and 32 in each channel incline toward the same end of the channel. For example in FIG. 3, all of the end surfaces 31 of the blocks incline toward the right hand end of the channel in which they are disposed. In a preferred embodiment the angle a between surfaces 26 and 31 is 60. The angle with which surfaces 31 and 32 extend transversely of the channel may be about 45, but in any event as will appear it is so correlated with the lengths of the knife blades that the cutting paths of the successive blades along each row will overlap.

As shown in FIG. 3 the outer surface 33 of each block 25 is planar and parallel to surface 26, and is formed with a recessed groove 34 that extends adjacent and parallel to end surface 31. In practice one edge 35 of groove 34 intersects surface 31, and the width of groove 34 is such that it occupies the major part of the outer surface of each block 25.

Each block surface 31 is formed along its lower end with a series of parallel relatively fine grooves 36 that are parallel to the plane of surface 26 and provide for precise knife blade location as will appear.

In the assembly a series of wedge blocks 25 are mounted in channel 23, with a knife blade 24 clamped between the end planar surfaces of the respective blocks. Referring to FIG. 3 it will be seen that the flat sided knife blade 24 is clamped full surface between adjacent block surfaces 31 and 32, and that the amount that the tip or cutting edge 37 of each blade projects from the rotor periphery is determined by setting the rib 38 along the lower end of the blade in a selected groove 36 of block surface 31. The knife edges therefore extend angularly in the direction determined by surfaces 31 and 32, and they similarly intersect a diametrical plane containing the rotor axis and passing through channel 23.

The wedge blocks 41 and 42 at opposite ends of the channels differ from the intermediate blocks 25 in that their outer end faces are planar and not parallel.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, end block 41 has an inclined planar inner surface engaging one side'of the adjacent knife blade, but its outer end face 42 is flat and perpendicular to the length of channel 23. Preferably the end of channel 23 and the adjacent upper corner of block 41 have opposite recesses receiving a bridging key 43. A clamping ring 44 encircles the end of the rotor assembly with an inner flat face abutting the flat ends of all of the channel members 19, and machine screws 45 extending through aligned bores in the ring and the channel members fasten ring 44 on the rotor end in closing relation to all channels 23. A similar clamping ring 44 is preferably similarly secured upon the other end of the rotor assembly.

The flat inner surface of rings 44 preferably abut the planar outer surfaces of end blocks 41 and 42, but in order to ensure that the blocks 25 and blades 24 are assembled tightly within each groove, adjustable abutments in the form of screws 46 mounted in threaded bores 47 and having flat inner ends 48 (FIG. 7) adapted to engage the adjacent flat ends of the adjacent end blocks are provided in at least one of the clamp rings, one at each channel member. Upon tightening of each screw 46 the longitudinal pressure thus exerted will locate the blades 24 tightly clamped in the respective channels.

Should a blade 24 require replacement, this can be readily accomplished by removing a ring 44 and sliding the necessary number of blocks out of the exposed open end of the channel.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A rotor assembly for a shavings making machine or the like comprising a rotor having on its periphery a series of circumferentially spaced parallel longitudinal rows of relatively short knife blades, said knife blades being mounted in spaced relation longitudinally of the rotor and all being similarly inclined relative to an intersecting diametrical plane containing the rotor axis and each said row comprising a series of spacer elements and a series of knife blades separated by and clamped between adjacent spacer elements.

2. The rotor assembly defined in claim 1, wherein the knife blades in each row are so located that the cutting paths of adjacent blades overlap. 3. The rotor assembly defined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of longitudinally extending parallel blade mounting members are fixed on the rotor, and a row of knife blades is mounted on each member.

4. The rotor assembly defined in claim 3, wherein arcuate peripheral wall sections of said rotor extend between adjacent blade mounting members.

5. The rotor assembly defined in claim 1, wherein means is provided wherein the knife blades may each be adjusted to project different distances from the rotor periphery.

6. A rotor assembly for a shavings making machine or the like comprising a rotor having an external periphery, a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending parallel blade mounting members fixed on the rotor periphery, and a series of relatively short knife blade elements mounted on each of said members in spaced relation longitudinally of the rotor and all being similarly inclined relative to an intersecting diametrical plane containing the rotor axis, each of said blade mounting members being an outwardly open channel, a series of spacer elements being longitudinally slidably mounted in each channel, and said knife blade elements being clamped between adjacent spacer elements with their cutting edges projecting from the open channel.

7. The rotor assembly defined in claim 6 wherein means is provided at at least one end of the channels for providing blade clamping force on the elements in the channels.

8. The rotor assembly defined in claim 6, wherein each of said spacer elements is a block having opposite parallel knife blade locating and clamping end surfaces extending angularly across said channel.

9. The rotor assembly defined in claim 8, wherein said channel is of dovetail shape and each of said spacer elements is a similarly shaped block.

10. The rotor assembly defined in claim 8, wherein one of said end surfaces is provided with a plurality of parallel grooves and each knife blade is a plate-like member having a rib adapted to seat in one of said grooves for selecting the degree of projection of the knife blade from the rotor periphery.

11. The rotor assembly defined in claim 6, wherein means is provided for exerting a force longitudinally of each channel to increase the clamping pressure of said spacer elements on said knife blade elements.

12. The rotor assembly defined in claim 6, wherein at least one end of each channel is open, and a clamping ring is removably mounted on that end of the rotor to close said channel ends and retain the spacer elements and knife blades in clamped assembly in said channels.

13. The rotor assembly defined in claim 6, wherein said spacer elements have opposite parallel planar knife blade contacting and holding end surfaces that are inclined transversely of the channel and also similarly inclined toward one end of the channel, and said knife blades are flat-sided members clamped between the end surfaces of adjacent spacer elements.

14. The rotor assembly defined in claim 13, wherein wedge blocks are provided in said channels at opposite ends with their inner ends shaped to engage the adjacent knife blades, and adjustable abutment means is provided engaging one of said wedge blocks for exerting a longitudinal knife blade clamping pressure on the elements in each said channel.

15. A rotor assembly for a shavings making machine or the like comprising a rotor having an external periphery, means providing a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending parallel outwardly open blade mounting channels on the rotor periphery, and a series of relatively short knife blade elements mounted in each of said channels in spaced rela' tion longitudinally. of the rotor and all being similarly inclined relative to an intersecting diametrical plane containing the rotor axis, a series of spacer elements being longitudinally slidably mounted in each channel, and said knife blade elements being clamped between adjacent spacer elements with their cutting edges projecting from the open channel.

16. The rotor assembly defined in claim 15, wherein at least one end of each channel is open and means is provided at that end to close the channel and vary the clamping pressure on the elements in the channel.

17. The rotor assembly defined in claim 15, wherein each knife blade extends transversely across its channel and the cutting paths of adjacent blades in each row UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION patent 3,866,844 Dated February 18, 1975 i Inven W.T.S. Montgomery, Jr,

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 3 insert --according-- after "assembly".

Column 3, line 38 insert --each-- before "channel".

Signed and sealed this 29th day of April 1975.

(SEAL) Attest:

C. MARSHALL DANN RUTH C. MASON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer and Trademarks F ORM PO-105O (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE "I! 0--3l-l3l 

1. A rotor assembly for a shavings making machine or the like comprising a rotor having on its periphery a series of circumferentially spaced parallel longitudinal rows of relatively short knife blades, said knife blades being mounted in spaced relation longitudinally of the rotor and all being similarly inclined relative to an intersecting diametrical plane containing the rotor axis and each said row comprising a series of spacer elements and a series of knife blades separated by and clamped between adjacent spacer elements.
 2. The rotor assembly defined in claim 1, wherein the knife blades in each row are so located that the cutting paths of adjacent blades overlap.
 3. The rotor assembly defined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of longitudinally extending parallel blade mounting members are fixed on the rotor, and a row of knife blades is mounted on each member.
 4. The rotor assembly defined in claim 3, wherein arcuate peripheral wall sections of said rotor extend between adjacent blade mounting members.
 5. The rotor assembly defined in claim 1, wherein means is provided wherein the knife blades may each be adjusted to project different distances from the rotor periphery.
 6. A rotor assembly for a shavings making machine or the like comprising a rotor having an external periphery, a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending parallel blade mounting members fixed on the rotor periphery, and a series of relatively short knife blade elements mounted on each of said members in spaced relation longitudinally of the rotor and all being similarly inclined relative to an intersecting diametrical plane containing the rotor axis, each of said blade mounting members being an outwardly open channel, a series of spacer elements being longitudinally slidably mounted in each channel, and said knife blade elements being clamped between adjacent spacer elements with their cutting edges projecting from the open channel.
 7. The rotor assembly defined in claim 6 wherein means is provided at at least one end of the channels for providing blade clamping force on the elements in the channels.
 8. The rotor assembly defined in claim 6, wherein each of said spacer elements is a block having opposite parallel knife blade locating and clamping end surfaces extending angularly across said channel.
 9. The rotor assembly defined in claim 8, wherein said channel is of dovetail shape and each of said spacer elements is a similarly shaped block.
 10. The rotor assembly defined in claim 8, wherein one of said end surfaces is provided with a plurality of parallel grooves and each knife blade is a plate-like member having a rib adapted to seat in one of said grooves for selecting the degree of projection of the knife blade from the rotor periphery.
 11. The rotor assembly defined in claim 6, wherein means is provided for exerting a force longitudinally of each channel to increase the clamping pressure of said spacer elements on said knife blade elements.
 12. The rotor assembly defined in claim 6, wherein at least one end of each channel is open, and a clamping ring is removably mounted on that end of the rotor to close said channel ends and retain the spacer elements and knife blades in clamped assembly in said channEls.
 13. The rotor assembly defined in claim 6, wherein said spacer elements have opposite parallel planar knife blade contacting and holding end surfaces that are inclined transversely of the channel and also similarly inclined toward one end of the channel, and said knife blades are flat-sided members clamped between the end surfaces of adjacent spacer elements.
 14. The rotor assembly defined in claim 13, wherein wedge blocks are provided in said channels at opposite ends with their inner ends shaped to engage the adjacent knife blades, and adjustable abutment means is provided engaging one of said wedge blocks for exerting a longitudinal knife blade clamping pressure on the elements in each said channel.
 15. A rotor assembly for a shavings making machine or the like comprising a rotor having an external periphery, means providing a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinally extending parallel outwardly open blade mounting channels on the rotor periphery, and a series of relatively short knife blade elements mounted in each of said channels in spaced relation longitudinally of the rotor and all being similarly inclined relative to an intersecting diametrical plane containing the rotor axis, a series of spacer elements being longitudinally slidably mounted in each channel, and said knife blade elements being clamped between adjacent spacer elements with their cutting edges projecting from the open channel.
 16. The rotor assembly defined in claim 15, wherein at least one end of each channel is open and means is provided at that end to close the channel and vary the clamping pressure on the elements in the channel.
 17. The rotor assembly defined in claim 15, wherein each knife blade extends transversely across its channel and the cutting paths of adjacent blades in each row overlap. 